How Spielberg became the youngest director in Hollywood history.
Fucked-up road to success.
You are reading The Epiphany—A weaklyish newsletter about Chasing the *Right Goals* and *Lving a Life True to Yourself.* From the desk of Abd Sid.
Enjoy xx
Steven Spielberg Was rejected twice from Film School.
And then once again.
He wasn’t going to give up that easily.
After all, he had direct movies like Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and E.T in the future.
One day, he jumps off a Universal Studios tour bus and sneaks onto the lot. The bus obviously wasn’t going to wait for him forever. He roams around and meets a guy named Chuck Silvers. They hit it off, and Chuck gives Spielberg a three-day pass.
But Spielberg’s not one to play by the rules. On the fourth day, he shows up in a suit, carrying his dad’s briefcase. He waves at the guard like he owns the place and walks right in. For the next three months, he’s mingling with stars, crashing editing rooms, and soaking up Hollywood knowledge like a sponge.
Silvers sees something in Spielberg and tells him to make a short film first instead of just roaming around. Spielberg, being Spielberg, creates "Amblin'." When Silvers watches it, he’s practically crying.
He calls up Sid Sheinberg at Universal TV, who’s buried in work. But Silvers insists he watch the film, saying it’s that important.
Sheinberg watches "Amblin'" and is blown away. Amblin was a masterpiece. He calls Spielberg in and offers him a seven-year contract on the spot.
Just like that, Spielberg becomes the youngest director in Hollywood history.
Steven Spielberg's journey highlights an important truth: The road to success isn't some pristine, well-paved highway.
It's more like:
that one road trip where you've got no GPS.
The map's in a language you don't speak.
Your co-pilot's snoring in the passenger seat.
You’ll face a curve called failure, a loop called confusion, speed bumps called friends, caution lights called family, and you will have flats called jobs.
But, if you have a spare called determination, an engine called perseverance, insurance called faith, and a driver called God, you will make it to a place called success!
We plan. We prepare. Despite that, the bumps in the road are unavoidable, but you’ll never get to your destination if you aren’t willing to drive over them.
You need to prepare to drive over them.
Determination is what gets you back on the road, even when you're questioning why you left the house in the first place. Perseverance gets you through the storm when all you want to do is turn back. It's the part of you that refuses to accept defeat, even when defeat seems inevitable.
And faith. Faith in something. Maybe it's faith in yourself, in the process, or just in the idea that things will work out. Knowing you've got something to fall back on, even if it's just your own damn stubbornness, will make this journey much more bearable.
And for some of us, there's God or whatever higher power you believe in, giving the journey that extra bit of direction or at least making you feel less alone on this crazy adventure.
Over the years, I have learned that the difference between a disaster and a triumph lies in whether or not we’re prepared. And if we’re ready, those bumps will become stepping stones.
The way to a good life is inherently philosophical. Life's not about avoiding the obstacles but about how we engage with them. Each element of this journey, from failure to faith, shapes us, offering lessons that lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe.
If you look at success that way, it becomes not just a destination but a transformative process, where every bump, curve, and loop is a stepping stone to wisdom, resilience, and ultimately, to a life well lived.
Your friend.
~ Abd Sid.
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